Archive for June, 2015

The LCR-Reader from Siborg Systems Inc. is a stripped-down version of the Smart Tweezers line of LCR-meters. Siborg had been working for years creating a device like Smart Tweezers but with a lower price point to appeal to non-professionals. To achieve a lower price, features such as continuity/diode testing, component sorting, semi-automatic offset removal and the ability to change the test signal amplitude were removed.

Though lacking some features, the LCR-Reader not only automatically evaluates for Inductance, Resistance or Capactiance, the device also measures ESR values. Being able to evaluate the ESR is important for electrolytic capacitors. In some equipment, such as e.g. power supplies, with PCB populated with elements, not all of them in use, no documentation available, the only alternative is to plug in a replacement, time consuming and tedious procedure. Since it is known that for electrolytic capacitros ESR is an issue, it is a good idea to just test them first. It is not even needed to be a precise measurement, because when the elctrolytic capacitro dries up, its ESR goes from an mOhm range all the way to KOhms. This allows to make quick and easy repairs. Sometimes it just gives a better insight. It works well with any size, down to the smallest parts in new smart phones.

“Smart Tweezers offers the ability for quick and highly accurate evaluations of SMT components,” says Michael Obrecht, the Director of Research and Development at Siborg, “For model ST-5S the basic accuracy is about 0.2%. Our goarl for a few years was to reduce the cost of manufacturing of the device. Recently we introduced the LCR-Reader that is priced at half of the Smart Tweezers ST-5S price and we plan to further reduce the price with the help of Injohnson Precision Industrial.”

Injohnson Precision Industrial Co., Ltd., professionally manufactures a wide range of metal products, precision (CNC) machining, plastic and rubber molded products as well as oil seal and packaging. They have over 35 yeras of professional experience and are constantly devoting themselves to improve technology and create new innovative products. This is the basis of their success that has yielded present plans for a new factory and office in the People’s Republic of China. With this factory, they can offer better and faster customer satisfaction requirements.

Injohnson offers small and large orders, high quality, competitive prices, prompt delivery and good service. Their products can be custom-made and designed according to requested specifications.

Siborg Systems Inc. and the Institute of Automation and Electrometry of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Novosibirsk, Russia, has been working over the past two years in creating a new model of the LCR-Reader.

“Smart Tweezers gives the ability for quick and highly accurate evaluations of SMT components,” says Michael Obrecht, the R&D director at Siborg, “For the ST-5S model, the basic accuracy is about %. Our goal in this project was to reduce the cost of the required components and PCB complexity, and, therefore, manufacturing cost of the device.”

There were two approaches taken aiming for manufacturing cost reduction: the traditional Smart Tweezers approach using a sinusoidal small-signal test and a response of the measured device to a voltage step signal. The first method has eventually led to the LCR-Reader that was released in June-August of and is currently priced at $200.

Further advancements in technology and available ICs allows the device to have a 100 KHz test frequency. This is integral to testing small inductances and Equivalent Series Resistance (ESR) measurements. The ESR value is crucial for testing high value electrolytic capacitances, both tantalum and aluminum.

The ESR values on aluminum and tantalum electrolytic capacitors with non-solid electrolyte can measure up to several ohms. ESR values also tend to increase with frequency due to the effects of the electrolyte. This increase of ESR values can create serious problems in Aluminum electrolytic capacitors. Though these problems are normal, large ripple currents or high temperatures can intensify the aging. The increase can be enough to cause circuit malfunction or even damage the component, despite the measured values staying withing the tolerance range of the circuit.

“We tried various circuit designs to implement a higher test frequency, but this causes battery life issues because they drew too much power. But as technology progressed, better Li-Ion batteries and new ICs (integrated circuits) meant we didn’t have to forfeit battery life for the higher frequency.” says the Team Lead Valentin Litvintsev, at the Institute of Automation and Electrometry of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Novosibirsk.